1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a printer and a printer system to which firmware is installed in network environment and a method therefor.
2. Description of the Related Arts
Network systems that connect personal computers, servers and various types of peripheral equipment via a network are used to a large extent today. There are employed LAN (local area network) and/or WAN (wide area network) in such networks.
Printers for the purpose of connecting and utilizing in network environment are available in the market. Such a printer is provided with a printer engine and a controller. The controller is constituted by hardware based on a processor. To realize control function, firmware (control program) is included in the controller.
Normally, the firmware is installed in the printer before shipment from a manufacturing factory. However, there are cases that the version-up of the firmware is conducted so as to correct program errors or upgrade functions. In such a version-up of the firmware, for a network-connected printer, it becomes widely used to install new firmware using network environment. Use of network enables easy installation operation as well as easy installation for multiple printers.
Moreover, remote maintenance services for electronic equipments including printers also become widely used. Under such circumstances, automatic firmware installation through the network has also been introduced when upgrading firmware version is necessary.
Conventionally, even in such a case of automatic installation, an operator (i.e. user) must be aware of the installation in progress. The operator encounters restrictions to follow: First, use of the printer must be suspended during the installation, or the operator must wait for the installation completion to use the printer for other jobs. Secondly, once the installation is started, the installation cannot be interrupted (by power switch off or the like) on the half way.
When any of these restrictions is not satisfied and the installation has not been completed, for example due to switching off the power manually on the half way of the installation, it is not possible to judge what extent the writing a memory of the printer by the installation has been carried out. As a result, installing the entire firmware afresh is necessary when re-installing.
Therefore, there are following problem to be improved in a conventional art.
(1) When a large volume of firmware is installed to the printer, the firmware installation of the printer requires a long time. During the installation, the printer cannot be used for other jobs until the installation is completed. And an operator cannot end the printer-job of the day on the half way of the installation.
(2) When remote maintenance is being carried out from a remote location, an operator at the printer cannot recognize the installation easily and may switch off the printer power. If this happens it becomes impossible to continue the installation.
(3) In recent years the remote maintenance becomes in use more widely. It is desired to perform automatic installation in the background of the usual printer-job, while an operator continues the usual job without need of recognizing the installation is in progress.